Abstract
Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) oscillators are not only smaller than
conventional oscillators, but also they can respond quicker and more
accurately, because of the smaller distances in use. Moreover, producing them
in large batches is inexpensive. The extension of lithography methods and
development of new micromachining techniques have allowed the production of
freely moving micromechanical parts.
Quartz crystals are currently used for most high performance systems, but they
are not economical when used as clocks for integrated circuits (ICs) due to
their separate and costly hermetic packaging requirements. With
micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), vibrating mechanical devices and
wafer-level vacuum packages can be manufactured with conventional
semiconductor technologies. This iRAP market analysis report highlights the
shift from quartz to MEMS and illustrates how designers could optimize
products to save time and money
Current frequency control and timing products in the market are based on the
use of resonators made of non-silicon materials, such as quartz crystal,
ceramic and surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. As ICs continue to shrink,
these non-silicon resonators, unfortunately, do not follow the same Moore' s
Law for miniaturization and ultimately restrict the ability to reduce the
overall IC system size and cost. In comparison, MEMS oscillators made using a
complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) silicon process are much
smaller and easier to integrate.
The idea of abandoning quartz oscillators for silicon ones is not new.
Researchers at Stanford University, University of Michigan and the University
of California, Berkeley have been working on the technology for decades. For
the most part, however, the quality of these silicon systems has not matched
that of quartz. In recent years, though, advances in the fabrication of
micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have made high-quality silicon
oscillators more practical.
When a quartz crystal is fabricated, it is designed to resonate at a single
frequency throughout its lifetime. Changing the function of the quartz clock
from one that operates a cell phone to one that runs a high-definition
television, for example, requires fabricating an entirely different batch of
crystals operating at different frequencies. The high levels of
miniaturization achieved by MEMS technology allows a cost-effective solution
of having high-Q resonators operating at different frequencies to be
simultaneously fabricated within the same device “footprint.”
Selection of the desired frequency is subsequently achieved using software.
Additionally, quartz crystal, ceramic and SAW devices are produced through a
fairly labor intensive process, wherein each device has to be finely tuned to
achieve the desired resonance frequency characteristics. The MEMS oscillator
fabrication approach, on the other hand, brings about the economies-of-scale
achieved by using the mass-manufacturing capabilities of modern CMOS
semiconductor fabrication.
There are several companies involved in making MEMS oscillators a reality for
electronics device manufacturers who have been waiting for a reliable,
scalable and low-cost alternative to quartz oscillators. Exciting market
possibilities exist for MEMS oscillators in new product areas such as
frequency control, smart sensors, filters and hybrid solutions for commercial,
military and space applications.
The MEMS solution, leverages several decades of development that have created
a mature silicon integrated circuit industry. Fabrication techniques are well
understood and tuned, with established ISO-certified processes resulting in
highly-repeatable, high-yield manufacturing. This strong industry foundation
has created an opportunity for emerging MEMS oscillator companies - mainly
innovative startups such as SiTime and Discera - to gain considerable ground
in creating a new market. Last but not least, MEMS technologies, by virtue of
their small size are also extremely rugged and well-suited to low-jitter
applications such as in military and aerospace equipment, where resistance to
shock and vibration is at a premium.
REPORT SUMMARY
Frequency references and oscillators are essential components for a broad
range of applications. They are central to all electronics, which is a big,
fragmented market (in 2007, more than an estimated 10 billion quartz crystals
and oscillators were manufactured). Frequency generators are integral
components of all electronics and systems that need to communicate data.
Integrating MEMS devices on the ASIC chip is one of the attractive features of
silicon MEMS resonators. There are three possible approaches to the
integration of MEMS devices with Si ICs. Hybrid integration involves
co-packaging of MEMS chips and SIC chips that have been separately fabricated
and optimized for performance. Alternate approaches include direct fabrication
of the MEMS devices on the IC chip or vice versa, direct fabrication of the
CMOS integrated circuits on the MEMS device chip. By adopting a wafer-scale
integrated fabrication approach, one can lower the cost of the ultimate
product. Till now, the first approach has been found to be the most cost
efficient.
The basic idea of using MEMS technology is to be able to microfabricate a
resonator or an array of resonators and subsequently adapt the resonance
frequency to the desired specification. The resonator is a fundamental
building block of the MEMS oscillator. Microfabrication allows the resonator
to be very small, and the manufacturing process is amenable to achieve
complete integration with the IC driver circuits and linked passive elements
on a single chip.
The potential for smaller footprint components and resistance to
electromagnetic interference also supports new cell phone designs, for
example. Moreover, MEMS oscillators meet price points set by crystal
oscillators by leveraging established high-volume silicon manufacturing
processes. This combination of size, performance, functionality and low cost
is highly desirable for OEMs and consumers alike.
Major findings of this report
The major findings of this report are summarized as follows:
- MEMS resonator companies will evolve to ultimately become time module
companies, taking market share away from quartz crystal oscillator
manufacturers and silicon timing device manufacturers. They will target
applications where the size and degree of integration are key, leading to the
ultimate usage of MEMS oscillators in almost all portable systems like PDAs,
camcorders and MP3 players.
- The global silicon MEMS oscillators industry is characterized by about a
dozen companies and institutions involved as device developers and
manufacturers.
- The 2007 global market for MEMS oscillators is still small to the tune of
$5.2 million in 2008. However, it is expected to grow at very fast pace to
reach $217 million by 2013 with an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of about
111%.
- Computers and networking will have the largest share in 2008 - as much as
60%.
- By 2013, consumer and communications products will take over the lead, at
a 55% share of the market, because of the segment' s large growth rate, as much
as 125% AAGR from 2008 to 2013.
SCOPE AND FORMAT
The market data contained in this report quantifies opportunities for MEMS
oscillators. In addition to product types, it also covers the many issues
concerning the merits and future prospects of the MEMS oscillators business,
including corporate strategies, information technologies, and the means for
providing these highly advanced products and service offerings. It also covers
in detail the economic and technological issues regarded by many as critical
to the industry' s current state of change. The report provides a review of the
MEMS oscillators industry, its structure, and the companies involved in
providing these products. The competitive position of the main players in the
MEMS oscillators market and the strategic options they face are also
discussed, as well as such competitive factors as marketing, distribution and
operations.
The qualitative and quantitative judgments embodied in this report are a
valuable contribution to the current knowledge of silicon MEMS oscillators.
Moreover, this study has been conducted at a vital stage when large use of
these devices are expected in computer, networking, consumer and
communications industries.
TO WHOM THE STUDY CATERS
This study will benefit the existing users of crystal oscillators such as
electronic circuit manufacturers of hand-held electronic consumer products
(such as mobile phones and laptops), who seek to lower costs by replacing
crystal oscillators with MEMS oscillators, which are positioned to become a
preferred solution for many types of consumer and communication applications.
This study provides a technical overview of the MEMS oscillators, especially
recent technology developments and existing barriers. Therefore, audiences for
this study include marketing executives, business unit managers and other
decision makers in companies producing mobile phones, digi-cams, camcorders
and laptops, as well as those in companies peripheral to these businesses.
This report is directed to various types of companies that are interested in
the developments in this field, such as:
- companies involved in the development, manufacturing and supplying of
electronic devices;
- manufacturers of MEMS devices;
- manufacturers and suppliers of piezoelectric elements and devices;
- manufacturers of telecommunication equipment and cellular telephones,
digi-cams, camcorders and laptops;
- companies involved in smart materials, nanotechnology and MEMS devices;
- manufacturers of advanced materials and electronic components interested
in diversification; and
- venture capital companies, angel investors and financial institutions
interested in new and emerging investments.
METHODOLOGY
The research methodology was qualitative in nature and employed a progressive
three-phase approach, for guaranteeing the ultimate validity of the findings.
Initially, a comprehensive and exhaustive search of the literature on MEMS
oscillators was conducted. These secondary sources included journals and
related books, trade literature, marketing literature, other
product/promotional literature, annual reports, MEMS oscillators' analyst
reports, and other publications. A patent search and analysis was also
conducted.
In a second phase, semi-structured fact-finding email correspondence was
conducted with marketing executives, product sales engineers, international
sales managers, application engineers, and other personnel of the MEMS
oscillators companies. Other sources included micro-electromechanical system
society magazines published by organizations in the U.S. and Germany,
academics, technology suppliers, technical experts, trade association
officials, government officials, and consulting companies. These were a rich
source of data. Subsequent analysis of the documents and interview notes was
iterative.
The final step in the data gathering and validation process included
techniques such as preliminary research, fill-gap research, historical
analysis of end-user markets and supply chain/raw materials, data
consolidation, cross linking, variance determination projections, variance
factorization and confirmatory primary research.
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